Francis Ngannou is literally and figuratively a towering figure in combat sports. His intimidating stature and power make for one dangerous individual and he's made immediate impacts in the MMA cage and the boxing ring.
The 37-year-old from Batie, Cameroon, has competed in MMA since 2013. A former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou has seemingly done it all in the cage, outside of fighting Jon Jones. That may never happen given his strained relationship with the UFC, but there are still many enticing matchups for him.
Though he has produced great memories in the cage, his first love will always be boxing. After facing WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October, Ngannou returns to the ring to face Anthony Joshua on March 8.
Signing with the PFL after leaving the UFC has resulted in endless opportunities for Ngannou. He will fight in the PFL’s SmartCage down the road, but there's no official date for his MMA return. Joshua in Saudi Arabia is the only thing he is focusing on now.
WATCH: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, exclusively live on DAZN
Joshua, a former two-time unified champion, looks to return to title contention. Fight fans are hoping for a brutal fight that is replete with power shots. Realistically, it could be a chess match or it could be over in the blink of an eye.
“When these two come together in Riyadh, this is Godzilla and King Kong," promoter Eddie Hearn told Sports Illustrated. "This is two enormous men and anything can happen in this fight. You can land one shot on the chin and it’s over."
What is Francis Ngannou's height?
Ngannou is 6-4. His upcoming opponent, Anthony Joshua, is 6-6.
Renan Ferreira, potentially Ngannou's first opponent in the PFL, is 6-8.
MORE: Fury vs. Usyk: History of boxing matches in Saudi Arabia
What is Francis Ngannou's reach?
Francis Ngannou has a reach of 83 inches. He set a world record in 2017 for the hardest punch ever recorded at 129,161 units on a PowerKube.
Ngannou will have a one-inch reach advantage against Joshua.
"This is the first time Joshua has fought an opponent that outsized him," Eddie Hearn told Sports Illustrated. "This guy [Ngannou] is huge. It’s like a cruiserweight and a heavyweight. So this is a real threat."
